Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2006 16:16:33 EDT
From: RitchChristopher@cs.com
Subject: briarwood:chris-and-beyond-105

All rights reserved. Copyright held by the author. If you are underage or
are offended by gay fiction, containing graphic sex and explicit language,
please exit now.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>


                                    "BRIARWOOD"
                               Copyright Ritchris, 2006

                                  A dramatic saga

                                        by

			         Ritch Christopher


                                    <><><><><>


		   	      BOOK TEN---The Beginning


                               "CHRIS AND BEYOND..."


                               * * * * * * * * * * * *

                              "...Go back to Riverwind.
                               You're sure to find
                               Something of value
                               That you left behind..."

                               From the off-Broadway musical,
                               "Riverwind"
                               Written by John Jennings
                               copyright 1962.

<><><><><><><><><><>

			            Chapter One-hundred-five


	Chris was so relieved when Cliff, Roger, and Billy returned from
New York/New Hampshire. St. Genesius was too large with too many tasks and
responsibilities for one rector to see to it all. Chris had worked at
several churches before becoming Cliff's assistant, but none of the
previous places of worship were so time consuming. Chris found himself
needing a break after having taken on the main duties of the church while
Cliff was away, but Chris felt too guilty to ask for time off as all the
work would then be piled on Cliff's shoulders. Chris wanted to suggest that
a few more deacons be ordained to alleviate some of the workload.

	Confession, for example, was overwhelming with a congregation the
size of St. Genesius and it's large number of gay members. All gays seemed
to feel that it was necessary to ask for forgiveness every time one of them
went to bed with a one-night trick. The line outside the confessional on
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays were long and tiresome. Often, Chris
desired to go to the rostrum to announce, 'It's all right to trick! It's no
sin unless you did it in an adulterous situation, pedophilia, or without
the consent of your partner!" Of course he didn't make such an
announcement, but Chris felt that that would cut down on the number of
confessions by at least sixty or seventy percent.

	Chris was an ordained Roman Catholic priest before seeking
employment at St. Genesius. At his Catholic Church in Atlanta,
homosexuality WAS a sin. However, in the new Anglican church, gay sex was
considered natural without the condemnation of the Anglican hierarchy. So,
in Chris' opinion, the number of confessions should be considerably fewer
at St. Genesius.

	Once, a few years ago, while Chris was visiting in New York, he
went to St. Patrick's Cathedral on Fifth Avenue, and for the sheer heck of
it, he also visited the Anglican's St. John the Divine Cathedral to compare
the architecture of the two massive edifices. Both were beautiful in Chris'
eyes. One of the similarities between the two were the confessionals. It
appeared that each church had ten or twelve priests or assistants hearing
confessions.

	That image would come to Chris after the hundred and ninetieth
absolution at St. Genesius with more to follow on Wednesday and
Thursday. WHEW! How on earth did Cliff have time to do his hospital
visitations at Cole Institute, manage his other duties, while raising a
fifteen-year-old son, Billy, and keeping his love fresh and new for Roger?

	Chris had found time for his relationship with Ed, but after Ed's
Alzheimer's became more serious, Chris had to find more time to spend with
his lover. Then there was the trip to Europe where Ed, eventually, passed
away. In recent retrospect, he was allayed when Forrest came into Will
Danforth's life because Chris felt he was not ready for another longtime
relationship. Chris and Will had had sex just the one night and it was a
good release for both of them, but Will brought with him the possibility of
a mental health problem stemming from his post-traumatic-stress left to him
after his short tour in the Iraqi conflict. Chris felt guilty about
offering a prayer of Thanksgiving that his and Will's affair went no
further than one short week...but at least, Will's problem or lack of, was
now in Forrest's care, not Chris'.

	Upon Cliff's, Roger's, and Billy's return, Chris was glad to see
and hear that Billy was no longer depressed about Jake's murder and also,
Chris was thrilled to learn that Lee had found a companion. So the trip for
all of them was worth it...in spite of the plethora of confessions Chris
had to sit through.

	A week later, things at St. Genesius had calmed down to a normal
routine with Cliff and Chris sharing the duties once again. The Monday
morning early mass after Cliff's return, Ted Baxter, Alex Clayton's lover
from Mackintosh came by to receive morning communion. Chris didn't know Ted
and Alex all that well, but Chris considered Walter, Alex's dad, to be one
of his closest friends. Chris hoped and prayed that there was nothing wrong
with Ted's and Alex's long-time relationship. Then Ted spilled the news to
Cliff and Chris at breakfast after morning communion that he had come to
Briarwood to see two boys at the Institute about possibly adopting
them...without Alex's knowledge, at the present.

	Cliff was thrilled beyond belief by Ted's news. Cliff knew the two
little boys at the Institute and thought that Ted and Alex would be ideal
parents. After breakfast, Cliff accompanied Ted to the Institute while
Chris returned to the church to attend to the morning
responsibilities. Chris had a wedding to perform the following Saturday, so
he decided to take time out to call the bride and groom to check on them
and to make sure that all their plans were in place. Just as he reached for
the phone, it rang.

	"Hello?" Chris answered.

	"Hello, I'm trying to locate Chris Curtis. I was told that I might
be able to find him at St. Genesius Anglican Church."

	"I'm Chris Curtis."

	"CHRIS?"

	"Yes?"

	"I...I didn't recognize your voice..."

	"I...I'm sorry, but I don't seem to recognize yours either!"

	"Chris, this is Bill! Bill Russell!"

	"Bill, from Riverwind, Georgia?"

	"The same!"

	"Well, I'll be damned! How in the world are you and WHERE are you?"

	"I'm still here. Home to me was like having your foot stuck in tar
or a big wad of chewing gum. I pulled away to go to college, but came right
back where my foot was planted.!"

	"Bill, how did you find me in Briarwood?"

	"It wasn't easy, believe me. I've been trying to track you down,
day and night, for almost a week! I, finally, talked with someone at a
mission in Atlanta and he didn't know where you were, but he said he would
scout around and see if he could find out where you are."

	"I wonder who told him? Did he give you a name?"

	"No, I didn't ask his name! I was so elated that he told me about
the possibility of your being in Briarwood, I...I, practically, hung up the
phone without thanking him or even saying, good-bye!"

	"How is Carolyn?"

	"Not so good, Chris. That's my primary reason for calling."

	"Is she ill?"

	"Very, Chris."

	"What's wrong, Bill?"

	"I could use all the medical terminology, but it still boils down
to 'end-stage' ovarian cancer."

	"My GOD, Bill! I'm so sorry to hear that."

	"The doctors at Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville says she won't
last a month. When I heard that, I decided to bring her home and get a
Hospice nurse to stay at our house to make her passing easier. Carolyn
would much rather die at home...the place we built from the ground
up...than in some hospital a hundred and fifty miles away. She has this
BEAUTIFUL flower garden which she can see from our bedroom window. When
she's awake, she loves to lie there and look at her floral
accomplishments. Her azaleas are in full bloom now and in the distance, she
can see the autumn leaves turning and she's as contented as much as
possible."

	"Bill, I just don't know what to say. Of course, I'll say a mass
for her."

	"I know she'll appreciate that, Chris...as will I. I...I heard you
left the Catholic church."

	"Yes, I'm a dyed-in-the-wool-bleeding-heart-liberal Anglican priest
now."

	"I guess that's one way of telling me that you no longer vote
Republican..."

	"Actually, I never did. To my family's dismay, I never did vote for
a Republican."

	"I...I suppose you're wondering why I called you after all these
years?"

	"Yes and no...but with Carolyn's illness, I can certainly
understand why you did."

	"When we were teen, there was no one I could talk to, the way I
could talk to you, Chris. I...You were the one person I seemed to miss most
in this time of tribulation. I hope the years we've been apart have given
you the time to forgive me for what I did to you."

	"Don't worry about that, Bill, I forgot that long ago."

	"I never was man enough to say that I'm sorry."

	"You don't have to say it, now. All is forgiven and bad memories
have long-floated down the river to the ocean."

	"Chris...I feel like a fool and I don't know anything about your
present situation, but, I somehow got the gall to call and ask you if you
would consider performing last rites on Carolyn when she goes?"

	"I...I don't know, Bill. My schedule, here at St. Genesius, is
mighty full...however."

	"Don't...don't upset your schedule. I...I called about the 'rites',
but actually, I really wanted to hear your voice. I guess it sound pretty
idiotic and inane to try to express how much I've missed you. I don't
expect you to believe that, but it's true..."

	Just as someone's life supposedly passes before his eyes at the
moment he's drowning, all memories of Bill flashed suddenly before Chris'
eyes. How long had it been? Fifteen years? Twenty? It seemed like
yesterday...


<><><><><><><><><><><><>


	Katherine Curtis, Chris' mother, had had a difficult time while
delivering him. Her obstetrician had no clue that Chris would be a breach
baby until Katherine went into labor and upon trying to deliver Chris, a
'C' section had to be preformed immediately. Once Chris had been extracted
from Katherine's womb, she began to hemorrhage severely. To save her life,
the OBGYN had to execute a complete hysterectomy on her...thus, making
Chris Katherine and Robert Curtis the parents of only one offspring with no
others to follow. Robert had dreamed of having at least six children with
his wife...but that was no longer possible.

	As soon as the nurse laid the new infant on the table to clean him
of Katherine's placenta, she swabbed out Chris tiny nostrils and noticed
that the baby wasn't breathing. The doctor rushed to see what was wrong and
after much examining, discovered that Chris' lungs were in a collapsed
situation. The doctor asked for a pump to fill Chris lungs, but Chris could
only breathe with the help of a pump or by manual resuscitation. The
doctor's face showed grave concern. Katherine had opted for epidural
anesthesia and was fully awake to see the doctor's worried face. Robert,
who had watched the birth, was also frightened when he looked at the
doctor.

	"What's wrong, Dr. Powell?" Robert asked with urgency.

	"I...I'm not sure, but the little fellow doesn't seem to want to
breathe..."

	"Oh, my God, NO!" Katherine cried out.

	"I'm going to put him on a ventilator to get his young body used to
breathing artificially and with any luck, his body will get the idea and
start letting him breathe on his own," the doctor replied.

	"How soon will we know?" Robert asked, anxiously.

	"Could be a few minutes or it could be a few days. We'll watch him
around the clock, though..." the doctor said, with reassurance.

	"ROBERT!" Katherine cried out.

	"Yes, my love?"

	"Run down stairs to the chapel on the main floor of the hospital
and say a prayer for him!" Katherine said, through her tears.

	"I...I will. Will you be all right?"

	"I won't be until HE is all right!"

	"All right, my darling. I'll be back as soon as possible!"

	Robert left the delivery room on the seventh floor and took the
elevator to the lobby of St. Martin's Hospital. He spied the chapel and
went directly to it. Once inside, he knelt on the second bench, crossed
himself, and folded his hands to pray.

	"Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou
among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother
of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of death. Amen." Robert
crossed himself the second time. "Dear God, I know that you're wise and
merciful. You see all and know all. I'm sure you see the predicament that
my wife, my new son, and I are in. Lord, I pray that You will spare my
son...heal him, give him the desire to breathe the breath of life You've
given us all. Be with my wife, Katherine. Heal her and grant her the chance
to raise our only son as You let the Holy Mother, raise Your son. Lord, I
know that at the hour of death and desperation, often people try to bargain
with You. I am human and no exception. I promise You that if you let my
little boy live to become a man, I will dedicate his life to Your
service. Lord, if it's Your will that he grows up to be a man of the cloth,
my wife and I will back him to fulfill this promise to you. PLEASE FATHER!
LET HIM LIVE! Amen." Robert crossed himself the third time and said the
Lord's prayer before leaving the chapel to return to the delivery room.

	As soon as Robert returned, he checked with the nurse and the
doctor. There was no change in Chris' condition. Robert went to his wife's
bedside to reveal the promise he had made in the chapel. Katherine squeezed
Robert's hand with approval.

	"Did you see a priest in the chapel?" she asked.

	"No, but I'm sure there must be one or two around hospital making
visitation rounds."

	"Please, Robert. Go find one and bring him here. I want our boy to
be named and baptized. I...I don't want to think about last rites at the
moment because surely God will let him live to tend to the tasks which you
promised to the Almighty."

	"I'll go find one, darling. Be brave. I'm sure the boy's gonna be
all right."

	Robert found a priest standing beside the nurse's station, told him
of the situation, and the priest ran down the hall with Robert to perform a
christening ceremony.

<><><><><><><><>

	That was the beginning of Chris' life. Only a few minutes after his
birth, by his father's proxy, Chris was destined to become a priest. Two
days later when Chris was strong enough to be taken off the ventilator,
Christopher Etienne Curtis became the object of Katherine and Robert's
lives. True to their promise to God, Chris was reared in St. Anne's
Catholic Church, never missing a Sunday or holiday mass from birth until
the age of fourteen when he was confirmed.

	When he was six years old, Chris entered St. Anne's grammar school
where he met Billy Russell, who was to become Chris' best friend all the
way through high school. The two attended the same confirmation classes and
were confirmed at the same mass by the Bishop.  Billy was 'all boy', unlike
Chris, who was the studious one of the two. Billy excelled in sports while
Chris was steered into books, prompted by his parents. Chris had no idea
that his parents were priming him for the priesthood, but they did their
best to keep his mind clear from girls. Billy, on the other hand, had a new
sweetheart every time he was promoted to the next grade until the eighth
grade when Carolyn Owens began his one and only object of Billy's
affection. This young relationship would last until Billy and Carolyn
graduated from the University of Georgia, after which they married the
month after getting their college diplomas.

	Although they were best friends throughout their young lives, Billy
never questioned Chris' disinterest in girls. Billy was too busy romancing
to worry about his best friend's love life.

	Even though it wasn't forced upon him, Chris became deeply involved
in the church, its rituals, and he found he loved being alone in the
church, just to pray and talk to God. Chris alternated each Sunday by
either serving as an altar boy or singing in the boys' choir for mass. When
he was alone with Billy, he WOULD listen to Billy's wild stories about how
Billy 'made out' with this girl or that girl. Chris was never envious of
Billy's amorous shenanigans. Actually, Chris had never given sex with
anyone a second thought until he experienced his first nocturnal emission.

	When he awoke and found his pajamas doused in a sticky fluid, he
didn't tell his parents. Instead, he told Father Renshaw, his priest, about
it in confession. Father Renshaw questioned Chris to see if the emission
had been self-induced, to which Chris, promptly denied. Father Renshaw
explained the act of masturbation to Chris and told him that the church
frowned on such an act, but to expect more and more nightly emissions. That
was nature's way of coping with seminal excretions...and more and more, the
emissions came...nightly, sometimes twice a night. Chris found that his
penis was in a constant state of erection from the time he went to bed
until he arose the next morning.

	Chris couldn't help but wonder if his best friend was experiencing
the same nightly disturbances as he...so Chris asked Billy about it.

	"Shit, Chris! Don't you know what's happening?" Billy asked, in
disbelief.

	"Father Renshaw explained that it was a natural procedure," Chris
replied.

	"Natural, my eye! God, Chris. You don't jerk off?"

	"No, I don't, if that mean's self-induced emissions. The father
told me that the church frowns on that."

	"Damn! You're fourteen years old, the same as I...and I've been
jerking off for nearly two years."

	"And you don't feel like you're sinning?"

	"Heck, no! No one ever told me it was a sin."

	"Then you've never confessed to Father Renshaw about doing it?"

	"No way! What he don't know, won't hurt him or ME either!"

	"But..."

	"Chris! Why don't you spend the night at my house this weekend? I
have a lot to straighten you out on."

	"I might...but don't try to get me to 'jerk off'. I won't do it."

	"You don't have to! Just watch me. You'll learn a lot!"

	"As long as you don't involve me!"

	"I won't! I promise."

	Chris asked his parents about the sleepover and they approved since
it was with Billy. Billy's parents went to mass as often as the
Curtises. They knew that Billy was not as pious as Chris, but Chris should
have SOME social outlet with his best friend. Chris had learned by watching
his mother over the years that a guest should bring his or her host a gift,
usually food, when being invited to someone's house.

	While walking to Billy's house on the designated Friday night
'educational' sleepover, Chris had to pass the local Riverwind Krispy Kreme
Doughnut Shop. He knew that Billy liked their doughnuts as much as he, so
he stopped to buy a dozen as the food gift for Billy.

	Friday evening was always a busy time at the Krispy Kreme. There
were two lines of patrons six-persons deep waiting to be served at the
counter. Soon there were three or four more customers lined up behind
Chris. Just behind him was Mrs. Wallace and her six-year-old son,
Joey. Chris turned around to speak to them and stooped to be on eye level
with the young boy.

	"How's it goin', slugger?" Chris asked Joey.

	Joey was about to reply, 'I'm fine', but instead he started
coughing as if his saliva was choking him.

	His mother looked alarmed and asked quickly, "Joey, are you having
an asthma attack?"  Joey couldn't answer but managed to nod his head in the
affirmative. "Let me get your inhaler!" she said as she dug deeply into her
purse. "Oh, my God, I don't have it!" she screamed. Joey was now choking to
the point his face was turning blue. Mrs. Wallace shouted at Ellen, who was
behind the counter taking doughnut orders, "PLEASE! Call 911!". Joey
collapsed to the floor. His mother panicked and yelled, "CAN SOMEONE PLEASE
HELP MY SON?"

	Though he was only fourteen years old, Chris had passed his CPR
course and exam and got down on his knees to begin mouth-to-mouth on Joey,
but Mrs. Wallace stopped Chris immediately.

	"Chris, Joey has fluid in his windpipe and mouth-to-mouth will only
push the saliva down further and will choke him to death!"

	"MRS. WALLACE!" Ellen shouted. "The ambulance is on its way!"

	"Oh, dear God! I only hope Joey doesn't die before it gets here!"

	Chris could see that Joey was fighting for his life. With all the
books he had read at the library, Chris had learned a great deal about
medical matters, not to mention that he had always watched hospital shows
on TV. Chris remembered that he had a Bic ball point pen in his shirt
pocket. He retrieved it, pulled off the cover and nervously aimed the sharp
end at Joey's throat. He had seen this same procedure done on
"MacGyver". Before Mrs. Wallace could stop Chris or ask what he was doing,
Chris pierced Joey's neck directly into his trachea. Blood spurted out
about a foot high and several girls and women, including, Joey's mother,
screamed in horror. Chris wriggled the pen to enlarge the opening before
withdrawing it. Joey took a deep gasp and began intaking air through his
new 'Chris-made' tracheotomy.

	"WOULD SOMEONE PLEASE HAND ME A DRINKING STRAW?" Chris ordered.

	"A what?" said an observer.

	"A DRINKING STRAW, ASSHOLE!" Another observer replied.

	Ellen quickly got a straw next to the milk shake machine and handed
to the first person in line, who handed it to several people before it
reached Chris' hands. He placed the straw very quickly into the incision
he'd made in Joey's throat and in a couple of seconds, Joey was laboriously
breathing through it. Chris didn't move. He kept his eyes on the make-shift
breathing apparatus to be sure it stayed clear and didn't clog up with
saliva or blood.

	"DEAR GOD! HE'S BREATHING!" One of the customers said with utter
surprise.

	Mrs. Wallace got down on her knees and was more than amazed to see
the color returning to her son's face. Chris was shaking. He had acted out
of urgency without thinking about a consequence. He was more nervous about
Mrs. Wallace getting upset and becoming angry with him than he was about
the emergency procedure which he had just performed on Joey.

	Two minutes later, the ambulance and a crew of EMT's arrived to
attend to Joey. The EMT captain saw the hole in Joey's throat and asked,
"WHO DID THIS?"

	Chris was almost too afraid to admit his action, but finally, with
quiet fearlessness, he managed to say, "I...I did..."

	"You did a brave thing, kid! You just save this boy's life!" the
EMT said.

	"Is he going to be all right?" Mrs. Wallace asked.

	"Yes, ma'am, thanks to his young man! We'll take him to
St. Martin's and get him fixed up."

	Mrs. Wallace was filled with tears of joy and relief as she looked
at Chris. "Chris? How can I ever thank you?"

	"I...I just didn't want you to get mad at me..." Chris said.

	"Chris, the day you were born, God sent an angel to your
parents. I'll have to call them!"

	"That's OK. I'm just glad I was here to help."

	"God bless you, Chris!" Mrs. Wallace said.

	"He already has, Mrs. Wallace...many, many times."

	Mrs. Wallace took a tissue from her purse, wiped her tears, blew
her nose and left to get into the ambulance to accompany Joey to the
hospital.

	A large rotund man at the head of the doughnut line shouted, "This
young man is a hero!"

	Everyone in line who wasn't wiping his eyes, clapped and cheered
for Chris. Chris was embarrassed by the accolades. He dropped his head and
left without buying any doughnuts. He stopped in front of the Krispy Kreme
to take a moment to gather himself and his thoughts. He couldn't decide
whether to go to Billy's for the sexual encounter or return home. He said
to himself that it was not he, who had saved Joey, but it was God, working
through him. He wanted to go to St. Anne's and offer thanksgiving for the
'miracle'. When he finished praying, Chris felt that tonight was NOT the
night to 'do things' at Billy's, so he went home, instead.

	When he arrived, his parents met Chris at the door. They had
already received word of the happening at the doughnut shop. Katherine and
Robert both knew that they had done the right thing by pledging their son's
life to God's service. They gave Chris tremendous hugs and kisses. Then
Chris went inside his house and forgot to call Billy to say he wouldn't be
over since his parents had made such a fuss. Even if Chirs had remembered
to call Billy, he wouldn't have mentioned Joey OR the Krispy Kreme to him
as Chris never liked being singled out with praise or compliments. Being
somewhat shy, he didn't want or need the attention.

<><><><><><><><><><><>

	Saturday morning, Billy called Chris before nine o'clock. Chris was
still in bed. He was awake but was reliving last night's events in his
head, making sure he hadn't forgotten anything in his hurried procedure.

	Katherine knocked on Chris' door. "Sweetheart? Are you awake?"

	"Yes, Mom."

	"Billy is on the downstairs phone and would like to talk with
you. Did you think to call him after you didn't go to his sleepover last
night?"

	"Sorry, Mom. I'll apologize to Billy."

	"Under the circumstances, I'm sure he'll understand, my brave
little hero..."

	"Aw, Mom. I didn't do anything that anyone else wouldn't have done
if I hadn't been there."

	"BUT, Chris, if you HADN'T been there, little Joey might not have
made it to the hospital."

	"I..I'd rather not talk about it, Mom...and I'm NO hero!"

	Before getting out of bed, Chris felt his pajamas and bottom
sheet. There was no sign of a wet emission. At least he wouldn't have to
explain THAT to his mother. He put on his slippers and went down the stairs
only in his pajamas to answer the phone.

	"Hello?" Chris said.

	"SO! Mrs. Wallace thinks you're an angel sent from heaven!"

	"Oh shoot! You heard, huh?"

	"It's all over Riverwind! Everyone's talking about it. All you have
to do is save two more lives and Father Renshaw will be flying to the
Vatican to propose your name for sainthood."

	"Shut up, willya? I didn't do anything special. I just happened to
be there. You'd have done the same thing if you had been in my place!"

	"You think I'd have the guts to poke a ballpoint pen into a dying
kid's neck?"

	"When you say it that way, it does sound kinda stupid, doesn't it?"

	"I hope Mrs. Wallace shows her appreciation by giving you a few
thousand bucks for saving her son's life!"

	"Billy, I wouldn't take money for what I did."

	"I sure as heck would!...BUT, I know you! You're my best friend and
the biggest do-gooder in Riverwind!"

	"I..I'm sorry I didn't make it over to your house last night for
the sleepover."

	"Too bad! I'd've let you shove something into my body, but not my
neck!"

	"Like what?"

	"Damn, Curtis, you're so naive. I was talking about my butt."

	"Why would I want to stick a Bic pen there?"

	"Not a Bic pin, idiot. I was talking about a projectile from YOUR
body."

	"Billy, I wouldn't do anything like that...even if it meant saving
your life."

	"I swear I'll make a man out of you yet!"

	"Maybe, but NOT that way! Billy, I don't think I was meant to spend
the night with you last night. I did a lot of thinking after I got home and
I think God made that happen to Joey so that I wouldn't indulge in what
you'd planned."

	"You think that God would let a kid suffocate to keep you from
jerking off with me?"

	"I'm not sure, but that's what I've been thinking about all morning
while lying in bed."

	"Holy crap, Chris! Mrs. Wallace might be right. Maybe you ARE an
angel...an angel who has wet dreams every night because he's afraid God
will punish him if he masturbates like every guy his age does."

	"Billy, you make me sound like some kind of freak!"

	"A holy freak, at that!"

	"I'm sorry."

	"OKAY. Enough said. What do you have planned this afternoon or do
you have more lives to save?"

	"I don't know."

	"Wanna go to a movie?"

	"Sure. What's playing?"

	"Well, the Rialto is showing, 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' with
Harrison Ford; 'Blow Out' starring John Travolta; 'History of the World',
that Mel Brooks flick, or if you're brave, we might be able to sneak in to
see 'Body Heat' with that sexy Kathleen Turner. I heard Kathleen Turner
shows everything she's got in it and in one scene, she's in the bed with
William Hurt and reaches down under the covers and plays with his dick!"

	"I'll pass on that one...but I WOULD like to see 'Raiders of the
Lost Ark'!"

	"I'll come over to your house around noon and we'll go together."

	"Sounds great!"

	"You sure that your mom and dad won't mind your going to the
movies?"

	"Billy! We're Catholics...NOT Church of God!"

	"I just wanted to make sure that 'Raiders' wouldn't upset your
religious scruples!"

	"Would you cut that out? PLEASE?"

	"Sorry!"

	"See you around noon!"

	Both boys hung up their phones.

	Katherine walked from the kitchen into the living room.

	"Was Billy upset about your not going to his house last night?"

	"No. We're going to the movies this afternoon."

	"That's nice. Do you need money?"

	"A couple of dollars might help..."

	Katherine got her purse, pulled out her billfold and handed Chris a
ten-dollar bill.

	"Here! The movie is MY treat. You buy the tickets AND the popcorn
for both you and Billy."

	"Why so much money, Mom?"

	"Because you deserve that and more."

	"Aw, Mom! You're not rewarding me for what I did last night?"

	"No, Chris. There's not enough money in the world to reward your
bravery and thoughtfulness which you displayed last night. I just want you
to go and have a good time with Billy."

	"OK, Mom! Thanks!'

	Chris left his mother and went into the kitchen to prepare his own
breakfast...strawberry pop-tarts and milk. When he finished, he went back
upstairs, took a bath, put on clean clothes and waited for Billy to arrive.

<><><><><><><><>

	The Rialto Theatre was inside the Towne Mall, just ten blocks from
the Curtis residence. Chris and Billy had plenty of time to get to the one
o'clock show and decided to walk to the mall.

	Billy, usually, asked one of his girlfriends to go to the movies,
but he doubted if any of the girls would enjoy, 'Raiders' as much as he and
his best friend, Chris, would together.  The two boys laughed together,
occasionally, giving the other a punch in the shoulder in a fun way. They
were more like brothers than best friends. There had always been an
unspoken love between them. If truth be known, Billy was a bit envious of
Chris. Chris WAS better looking and made better grades in school than
Billy. Billy could never understand why Chris wasn't interested in girls,
but in a way, Billy was glad because if ANY girl had to choose between the
two, no doubt, the girl would choose Chris first.

	Even though, Chris and Billy had seen each other every day for
years, neither had ever had a reason to see the other unclothed. Billy,
who, by far, was more interested in sex that his best friend, often
wondered if Chris was larger in the 'penile' department. Sometimes when
they were playing outside wearing shorts, Billy would gaze at Chris' crotch
to see how much of a bulge was there. Unbeknownst to Chris, probably now
and always, Billy had masturbated while fantasizing...seeing Chris naked
and with a boner, but those fantasies were short-lived as Billy always
needed to visualize some girl's vagina before he could get himself over the
edge.

	They were two blocks from reaching the mall, when they stopped at a
traffic light. A car, going east to west, ran the red light and crashed
into a car going north and south. It was a huge collision...glass flew into
all directions. The car which caused the crash, started flaming from
beneath its hood. It was easy to see that the driver was unconscious and
wasn't moving. The car which was hit on the rear door had two small
children in the back seat. They were the most endangered by the fire.

	Billy stood at the corner, frozen in disbelief. Chris, on the other
hand, rushed to the car with the children. Their mother was getting out of
the driver's seat. The left side of her head was bleeding from hitting the
side window. She was staggering with pain. Chris tried to open the back
door on the opposite side of her car, but it was locked. The two kids
appeared to be all right, just shaken, confused, and scared.

	Chris led the mother away to safety while he jumped into the
driver's side, leapt over the front seat, unlocked the back door and
hustled the two kids out and sat them by their mother. Next, as the flames
were getting higher, Chris went to the unconscious man in the other car;
opened his door, unfastened the man's seat belt and dragged him out of the
burning vehicle to the sidewalk where Billy was standing. Billy couldn't
believe what he was witnessing.

	Chris yelled, "EVERYONE GET BACK! THAT CAR MIGHT BLOW AT ANY
SECOND!"

	An onlooker on the opposite side of the street had called '911' for
the police, fire department, and EMT squad. Sirens were coming in several
directions. The fire department arrived before the other city vehicles and
began spraying foam on the fire. Next, came the police and an
ambulance. Two officers got out to assess the situation. One asked a
witness what she had seen...to which she gave a blow-by-blow description of
the accident and Chris' brave actions.

	Chris stayed with the injured man until the paramedics came to take
charge. Chris looked up at Billy who was standing in the same place,
shaking, and crying, at the same time.

	Chris saw Billy and ran to him. "Are you all right? Did you get hit
by any of the flying glass? Are you hurt?"

	Billy couldn't reply. His eyes were fixed on Chris. Chris put his
arm around Billy's shoulder which gave Billy the incentive to turn and put
both arms around his best friend. Billy buried his face in Chris' shoulder
and continued to sob.

	"BILLY! FOR GOD'S SAKE! TELL ME WHAT'S WRONG?" Chris shouted.

	"Nothing!" Billy managed to say. "NOTHING, except I'm so frigging
proud of you. YOU risk your life while I couldn't do a damned thing. You're
the bravest person I've ever seen in my life!"

	"That's bull, Billy!"

	"I mean it, Chris. I...I'm so lucky to have you as my best
friend. I...I've never felt closer to you as I do now..."

	"We've always been close, Billy."

	"But not the way I'm feeling right now."

	"Come on, we've done all we can do. The police, firemen, and
paramedics have everything under control. Let's go on to the movies."

	"I...I can't! I want to go home."

	"All right, I'll walk you home."

	They turned to leave and a policeman stopped them.

	"Were you the boys who saved the children and the two drivers?"

	"I didn't!" Billy said. "HE did everything by himself."

	"What's your name, son?"

	"Chris Curtis."

	"Chris! You're parents should be mighty proud of you. You, probably
just saved four lives, including two small children."

	"I only did what anyone else would do under the same circumstance,"
Chris replied.

	"That's not true, Chris! YOU DID IT ALL!" Billy said, adamantly.

	"Do you boys need a ride somewhere?"

	"No, sir. We're just walking home."

	"Chris, I need your name, address, and telephone number," the
policeman said. "You were the key witness to this accident and I need to
question you for the full report. Would you write those things in my
notebook, please?"

	"Sure."

	Chris took the pad and wrote his name, address, and phone number.

	"Will you be there in about an hour?"

	"Yes, sir."

	"I'll drop by your house to get all the details from you. Is that
OK?"

	"Sure! My parents are both home now."

	"I think I'll have a lot of good things to tell them," the
patrolman replied.

	"Oh, gosh!" Chris said, thinking about the incident last night at
the doughnut shop and the way Katherine and Robert had made over him. "Just
don't say too much. OK?"

	"All right. I know that a hero never wants to be thanked. That's
what Superman used to say on TV."

	"Is that all, officer?"

	"For now."

	"Come on, Billy, I'll walk you home first."

	Billy kept his head on Chris shoulder as they walked home. Chris
had his arm around Billy's waist. They looked like two lovers walking down
the lane in broad daylight...but neither of the boys seemed embarrassed.

	When they arrived at Billy's house, Billy's parents were gone to
buy Saturday's groceries. Chris walked Billy inside his house.

	"Are you going to be all right?" Chris asked.

	"It should be 'I' asking YOU that!" Billy answered.

	"I'm fine...believe me, Billy."

	Billy turned to look into Chris' eyes. The two faces were only
inches apart when Billy grinned and let out a slight giggle.

	"What's so funny?" Chris asked.

	"I was just thinking...one more incident and you'll become Saint
Chris."

	"Aw, shut up, willya?"

	Billy stopped smiling and his face turned serious. The two were so
close they could actually feel the hot air coming from the other's
nostrils. Then, for no reason, or perhaps, a LOT of reasons, Billy leaned
closer to Chris' face and placed his lips on Chris'. Chris was surprised,
but didn't move away.

	"I...I couldn't help but do that," Billy said, in a whisper.

	"Why DID you do it?"

	"It was the only way I could think to show you how much I love you,
Chris."

	"You're not turning queer on me, are you?"

	"I didn't mean to kiss you in a queer way. You remember that we
read that David kissed Jonathan in the Old Testament? They were
friends...just like you and me. They weren't queer and neither are we. It's
just that..."

	"It's OK, Billy. I love you in the same way." Chris leaned forward
and returned Billy's kiss. "There, now, we're even!"

	"Could I ask you a favor?" Billy said.

	"As your best friend, how could I refuse?"

	"Would you sleep over tonight like you promised last night?"

	"With ONE condition..."

	"What?"

	"No...jerking off."

	"I wouldn't dream of it. WOW! If God's going to punish anyone when
you're gonna jerk off, I don't want to be the third person who'll elevate
you to the status of sainthood!"

	"Aw, fudge! I gotta go."

	"You will spend the night tonight?"

	"YES! I'LL SPEND THE NIGHT WITH YOU, MR. JERK OFF!"

	"See you around seven-thirty?"

	"Only if a meteor doesn't fall between your house and mine. I...I
might be a bit busy then."

	"Hell, you'll save the whole damned neighborhood!"

	"Go lie down until you parents get home. I'll go talk to the
policemen and settle MY parents down once they've heard the news about the
accident."

	Chris gave Billy a brotherly hug and left.

	Billy walked into his bedroom and lay on his bed. With one hand, he
touched his lips, remembering how they felt when they had touched
Chris'. With his other hand, Billy reached into his shorts and grabbed the
erection he had tried to hide since the kiss and began to
masturbate...thinking ONLY of his best friend.


<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

(To be continued in "Briarwood"---Book Ten---"Chris and beyond"---chapter
106.)